The New Girl
by Rosy the Spazz
Summary: Twenty year old Lillian Taylor ends up with the chance to live her dream of being a farmer. When she reaches the new town will she be able to settle and find love, or will she be stuck as the new girl yet again? Kana X Lillian X Cam
1. Chapter 1

**Hello Peoples! New story I'm writing, and my first Harvest Moon Story at that! I noticed a lack of Kana stories and I just love the ****guy, but I can't decide between him and Cam so I'm writing this story to help solve the inner turmoil I feel between these two sexy bachelors**. **Enjoy! **

**Disclaimer: I do not own harvest moon or any of its characters :( just the plot and the people that I create  
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Lillian's POV

The new girl, that's what I've always been, every moment of my life, and I'm sick of it! Having never stayed at a school for more than a few months kept me from having a lot of friends. The children would always gossip about me whenever the teacher turned their back. They assumed because I was quiet, I was some depressed emo child. Because of my good grades in high school people started the crazy rumor that I only received the grades I did by sleeping with half the teachers. Because of my odd clothes people assumed I was dirt poor, although they weren't too far off on that one. Not a single person bothered getting to know me, they just placed me where they saw fit.

In three days, Winter 28th I'm turning twenty. That's the age my parents told me I could start my own life. My family isn't all that wealthy and it shows. Hand me down clothes, rusty old car, glasses with tape, and a home that, no matter where we move to, seems just about ready to collapse. My parents can't seem to hold on to a stable job so we go from place to place trying to make ends meet. Right now my mom is working a day job at a convenient store, while my dad is working the night shift at a local mall. As for me, my parents won't let me work... well no work that I get paid for. They insist that they have things under control and that I shouldn't worry, "Just get good experience for when you're out on your own in the world!" my mom always tells me when I leave the house in the morning. We live right in the middle of the city, which I guess is kind of lucky for traveling purposes. Tuesday through Saturday I volunteered at either the local animal shelter or the large farm just outside of the city, but today was a Monday, one of the best and worst days of the week. On Mondays everybody was busy so I have the chance to explore the current city I'm in, later today I'm checking out some of the shops downtown. I also love Mondays because that's the day the pet store near my house gets new critters.

I love animals, and chocolate and pi, but those can't love you back, and I've wanted to have a job with them ever since I saw my first puppy. I know that in less than a week I plan to work on a farm in some remote village, it's one of my dreams, I just don't see how it could ever become my reality.

Walking down the cobblestone street, listening to the blaring honks and screeching tires of taxis, I noticed a small flower shop tucked between a Starbucks and a Macy's, and my adoration of flowers compelled me to check it out. When I was just a few steps from the entrance I somehow managed to trip over the tiny crack between the cement squares in the sidewalk and fall on my butt. I stood up with as much care as I could, yet my tailbone sent a twinge of pain shooting up my spine. "Ouch! My poor buttknuckle, that hurt!" I exclaimed massaging the sore spot. A smooth chuckle caused me to slowly spin around, my face heating up as I did so. My face turned even more red when I saw who the chuckle belonged to. It was a boy, a pretty damn hot one might I add. He was tallish, lean, had shoulder length sandy-brown hair, and most importantly he was wearing purple. A checked purple newsboy hat was perched on his head with a matching, unbuttoned vest. Hanging loosely from his neck was a canary yellow tie. He wore a long sleeved gray undershirt with the top few buttons undone. The sleeves were rolled up to almost his elbows. To finish the outfit he wore dark jeans and brown shoes. Did I mention he was hot? _Hello Benjamin_ I thought to myself, or at least I thought I thought to myself.

"Excuse me?" The strange boy asked. _Oh shoot! He wasn't supposed to hear that um, um, um, ok just act not crazy and you should be able to walk away with your dignity._ I looked up to see him staring at me puzzled. I let out a nervous chuckle.

"Heh heh... um hi?" I managed to get out, only adding to the awkwardness of the situation. I saw him roll his eyes. They were surprisingly a lovely shade of meadow green. We both waited for the other to speak first, but when neither of us gave any sign of letting up he spoke again.

"So um... I liked the reference to _Doctor Who_," He stated tensely. My jaw dropped. _Not what I was expecting... Oh shoot! That means... uh-oh._ If this guy knows what I was talking about then he knows exactly what I think of him. _Crap what do I do? Ooh that's it! Run for it!_

"Well um, it was nice...chatting with you," I made it sound like a question. "Ok um bye now!" I give a little wave and quickly walk off towards my apartment. I was about halfway down the block when I heard him call.

"Interesting term, buttknuckle. I give you props on coming up with it." My face began to heat up again and I focused on ignoring the incredibly hot guy behind me talking about my weird vocabulary. Somehow I ended up too focused on tuning out the rest of the world and tripped again, landing on the same part of my butt as before. In the distance I heard the strange boy let out another chuckle before the bell on a door signified his leave. _Stupid guys, always being a distraction. I really hope I didn't come off as too crazy_ I continued to mutter to my thoughts after replaying the scene a few more times. By the time I reached my home I was trying my best to hide the traitorous smile that threatened to surface.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

****Destiny Girl 15 gets cookies for being my first reviewer!****

**Disclaimer: I do not own Lillian or Rutger or Rose or the town of Bluebell. Those belong to the geniuses at Natsume**

I woke up the next morning to the rare smell (or at least rare to me) of sausage and french toast. I was momentarily puzzled as to why my nose was telling me of the scrumptious treat that awaited downstairs, but then it hit me. Today I was finally twenty. I swung my aching legs off the bed and abruptly stood up only to sway a bit at the rush of blood flowing out of my head. I trudged out of my room, across the hallway and down the small set of stairs. When I crossed through the threshold into the kitchen I was immediately bombarded by confetti and mini streamers.

"Happy Birthday Lillian!" My parents chorused in sing-song voices. I gave them a wide smile as I gazed around the room. The gray walls were splattered with lime green, turquoise, and purple balloons while matching streamers bled out of every corner, only to meet in the center of the room at the ceiling fan. I gave another smaller smile, they always tried so hard for my birthday. It was the one day of the year they felt the need to celebrate and make special despite my many protests over the years. I didn't see any reason why we should pay any special attention to any one day, I only saw it as a waste of money, luckily thanks to my tenth birthday they gave up on parties. It was supposed to be a surprise party, but when you invite the whole fifty kid class word gets around fast. While sitting at my desk I heard the excuses people came up with to avoid the weird girl's party. In the end, the only people that came were the popular girls who couldn't ruin their image by missing a party and a handful of children whose parents made them go. Not even an hour had passed before my own parents were fed up with the stuck up children's petty gossip about how stupid and ugly I was, and were driving them all home. We have never spoken of the party since, and were in a silent agreement that I would not have another party unless I asked for one. Every year since that incident I've spent the day off, sitting on the couch watching the few Disney movies we still have on VCR while eating chocolate ice cream cake.

This year was different than other years. Maybe it was because they knew I was leaving soon, or maybe some other reason, but the decorations seemed to be placed with extra care and precision. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw my mom stifle a huge yawn while my dad rubbed his bloodshot eyes. _they must have stayed up all night to work on this_ I thought as I reached out and embraced them in a hug

"Love you guys, thanks so much for everything." I said quietly my thanks stretching beyond my birthday. They had always been there for me whenever I needed them. My dad cleared his throat, not one for sharing feelings, and I slowly let them go. We stood in a comfortable silence for a minute, savoring the moment, when my mom announced it was present time, practically singing the words. She covered my eyes with her hands and led me into the kitchen. When she removed her hands there were a handful of small presents on the table. I smiled again, not wanting to seem at all displeased, and took a seat at the small table. I grabbed the present nearest to me, tore off the card an read its contents.

_To my dearest granddaughter,_

_Twenty already? It seems like only yesterday your mother and father were calling me on the phone announcing "it's a girl!" It reminds of how old I'm getting. Lillybug, you're going to start your own life soon, and I want to give you a bit of advice. Stay true to who you are, don't let anybody, no matter handsome he may be, change your beautiful personality. When you do meet the right man, and I hope it's soon I want great grandchildren, never take any moment for granted. I love you so very much, and am proud to call you my granddaughter._

_~Grandma Rosemary_

At those last words I felt my eyes fill up with tears. I loved my grandma, she was the only one of my grandparents still alive. I was constantly calling her and discussing simple things like how my internships re going or what fruit is the most fun to say. I blinked hard several times to clear the tears and picked up the rectangular box that accompanied the card. I flipped the gift upside-down and began to carefully undo the wrapping. When the gold paper was gone, I was left holding a well worn book about farming. I flipped to the inside cover and found a small envelope. I slid my finger under the edge, noticing how easily the glued paper separated. What surprised me even more was what was inside. It was an old note from my Grandpa Charlie, who had died from cancer nearly half a dozen years ago.

_Lillian, I know well enough that I am an old, sick man, and I don't have much left in me. I would have loved to give this to you personally on your twentieth birthday but due to my recent hospitalization I don't think I can even watch you turn sixteen. I don't know If Rosy ever told you this, but I used to be a rancher way back when. It's always been a dream of mine to have another Taylor follow in my footsteps. If your father sticks to the tradition you will head out on your own soon. I'm giving you this book on the basics of running a ranch, it was the one I used when I was your age. I don't want you to feel obligated to become a farmer, that is the last thing I want, but if you are struggling to decide what to do with your life I want you to have an option. I have an old friend, Rutger, that happens to be the mayor of a small ranching town at the base of a small mountain. If you do decide to follow in my footsteps go pay him a visit. Rose knows who I'm talking about, I believe she still writes to the mayor's wife from time to time. Happy twentieth Birthday Lillian, I only wish I could be there with you. Just remember that I will always love and watch over you. _

_~Grandpa Charlie_

At the bottom of the envelope was 5000G. The look of shock on my face caused my mother to reach out and grab the note for her and dad to read. They read about halfway down the page when they began to discuss the possibilities and benefits and hardships of being a farmer, I only heard every few words too focused on the information bouncing around in my head. As they continued their debate I left the kitchen table and headed to the phone by the doorway. I took the phone off the wall and dialed the familiar number. It rang once, my parents slowed their debate realizing I was missing. It rang a second time, they now wandered in to the room and gave me puzzled expressions. It rang a third time, it finally occurred to them what I was doing and they were frantically trying to get me to put the phone down and discuss my options with them. It rang a fourth time, and a new voice came to my ear.

"Hello, who is this?" I gave a small smile and spoke, my voice was strong with a new sense of determination.

"Hi Grammy! It's Lillian! I'm calling to ask if you're still in touch with your old friend from the village next to the mountain, I want to ask her husband a few questions about farming."

**Hey peoples! Chapter two is up! Woohoo! I think this is my new personal record for fastest upload. Anyways, ****I'm skipping the days in the story where nothing interesting happens, so next chapter will most probably start with her arriving at Bluebell**. **I'm trying to keep the background stuff from being too depressing, although some things do need to be sad. I can promise you though that things will get happier in the near future. Please review and tell me what you think! As mentioned in the first chapter this is my first Harvest Moon story so I would LOVE feedback. Thanks for reading everyone! Next update will happen eventually.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

"Ok, thank you so much for this opportunity. I'll see you tomorrow on the top of the mountain. Again, thank you Mr. Mayor. Goodbye!" I hung up the phone, barely contained excitement brimming off me in waves. I walk through the kitchen on the way to my room, noticing that it was already 10:30pm, when my mom appears and follows me upstairs. We reach my room, and I grab an old leather suitcase while she sits on the bed. I pack my measly selection of clothes and go to grab my most treasured possession from it's place on the shelf. It's an old necklace, with a thick gold chain, and a beautiful polished Amethyst heart set on a gold background. If you looked closely you could see through the thin layer of purple in the middle to see a sparkle of a sapphire. It was my Grandma Betty's before she passed away. She had left it to me in her will with the hope that I would never sell it. Because it is so valuable I don't wear it that often, only for formal occasions where I know it won't get stolen. As I went back to my suitcase I saw a few more things added to it. It was the little practical things, a toothbrush, toothpaste, floss, other toiletries necessary for a girl, and a picture of our family. It was of us during Christmas of last year.

At the time we were living in this small town called Waffle Town. As always I didn't fit in, even with the odd tranny guys that lived there, but it was my favorite place that we had lived. There was something, I don't know... magical? No that's not the word. It wasn't magical, close, but, more the sense that something was always watching, and protecting the people... Gosh I sound crazy, there isn't some mystical being protecting a town, I just got caught up in the moment, anyways back to the picture. It was the three of us in front of the small pond that people worshipped in that town. The light was shining just right to make some sparkles appear above the water. This was when my parents had less insane jobs, and could afford to enjoy life. The genuine love and tenderness in all of our expressions was enough to tell anyone that it didn't matter if all was had was a cardboard box, if we were together we would be happy. Even me trying to hold back a sneeze with that demented face everyone makes. We were happy, or at least happier.

When I looked up from the photo at my mom, there was still all of the love in her tear-filled eyes, but instead of the joy was pride. My mother was proud of me for being able to go out and live my dream. She blinked those gray eyes of hers and the emotion was wiped away. I gave her a hug before zipping my meager possessions into the worn suitcase, and lugging it downstairs. I left it by the door for when my taxi arrived. I went into the dining room/kitchen area for, unknown to me, the last time. My dad was waiting at the table, a solemn air around him. I walked over and sat down on top of the table, something I've been told dozens of times not to do since it was a very fragile table. He looked up and rolled his eyes, I smiled and took the seat next to him. We sat in a comfortable silence for a number of minutes, enjoying each other's presence. When I heard an impatient honking outside, we both scooted our chairs back and stood up. My mother entered the room at his time and we all embraced, silent tears streaming down our faces. There was no need for words, and we released the sullen huddle. We all walked towards the front door, and the start of my new life. I picked up my suitcase and my dad pressed an envelope into my hand. I looked up puzzled, but before I could ask he answered.

"We always had hopes that you would go to college, but I guess all of our moving around screwed up that chance for you to get a scholarship." I flipped the envelope over to read Lillibug's School Fund. I gave him a small sad smile, all of my previous excitement gone. I gave them each a final hug, and walked out of the house. I reached the waiting cab and opened the back door, shoving the suitcase into the crowded backseat with me.

"The docks please." I tell the driver. He grunts and begins to roll forward. I look out the window and wave to my parents, knowing they can see. The ride was long, and awkward, with odd foreign music replacing conversation. When we reached the docks I got out, paid the driver and began the search for the boat was on. After going through security, and I swear having my ass squeezed by the scary old man on duty, I boarded the ship and prepared for the long 4 hour ride from the city, to a remote mountain. I reached my cabin and collapsed on the bed, the askew clock on the wall reading 11:59pm. My last thought before succumbing to unconsciousness; I hope this year doesn't suck as bad as the last.

**HEY PEOPLES! I'M NOT DEAD! I feel bad making you guys wait over a month, and my other readers for my SonAmy story over two months (its still being written sorry!). I know this is a short chapter, but I really wanted to get an update on pi day (THE MOST AWESOME HOLIDAY EVER). Looking back at this story, I thought that its writing had been a bit more mature, but it really isn't, so that's something that may change throughout the story. Please let me know if it sounds too weird or childish. I write these when I'm tired so my silliness slips through. Anyways next update eventually. I have this huge science fair project due in a couple of weeks so I need to start focusing on that. Cookies to all my reviewers, oh and **_**THE FIRST PERSON WHO CAN GUESS HOW THE PICTURE IS GOING TO TIE INTO THE STORY LATER ON GETS THE NEXT CHAPTER DEDICATED TO THEM!** _**_EVERYONE ELSE WHO GUESSES RIGHT GETS AN HONORABLE MENTION._ As**** always, please review! THANKS FOR READING****!**


	4. Chapter 4

CHAPTER 4:

**I don't own Harvest moon. This chapter goes to _Katie Kat_ for most closely guessing what the picture would do. Also she was my only reviewer, so Thank you ever so much!**

I woke up the next morning to the sudden lurching of the boat. _Oh no!_ I thought, _Is the boat sinking?_My question was answered by the crackle of loudspeakers, and a deep voice announcing our arrival at Port Chickaree. I groggily got off the lumpy bed and threw on an old work outfit I would wear at the farm. It was a faded pair of capris with the bottom cuff rolled up to make room for the small sneaker-like boots I wore. In addition to the jeans I had a small yellow apron that doubled as a belt. I quite liked the shirt actually. It was a very light blue, almost white, with poofy sleeves and a golden colored ruffled front. About halfway down the sleeves were some strips of dark brown ribbon I had sewed on to keep the sleeves from being too puffed out. Over the shirt was a navy blue vest. I always tried to keep my shirt tucked into my jeans, but they were starting to get a bit small, so it were constantly slipping out. the final touch was an ice blue bandana that I tied on the top of my head, the cloth knotted underneath my light brown hair.

I finish getting dressed and repacked my toothbrush and pajamas before leaving the cabin. I walk out into the the brisk morning air. The sky was still dark outside with only the smallest hint of light barely above the horizon. I yawn and rub my eyes and lug my suitcase onto the gangplank. When I reach the docks I immediately am splashed by a salty wave. _oh great, just what I need!_ I thought _sopping wet clothes for a long ride_I go to take another step, yet my foot betrays me and slides across the soaked wood. I close my eyes and place my hands behind me, bracing myself for landing on my ass again. I was surprised to feel, instead of a cold, hard, wet, dock, warm soft arms catching me. I open my eyes to find myself staring into a pair of beautiful, yet familiar, meadow green ones alive with hidden mischief. It feels like forever before he helps me back on my feet, and that's when I notice the purple newsboy hat. My heart starts fluttering and I realize that it was the cute guy from the flower shop. I hadn't noticed I'd been gawking at him until he gave a nervous chuckle. My cheeks flared up with heat, in what I was sure was my splotchy blush, as I mumbled several thank you's and sorry's. He gave another chuckle, more relaxed this time.

"No need to apologize miss, it's not your fault you slipped... Well actually it might be. You seem to be a bit accident prone."

"Hmph." My blush has now faded to be replaced by a pout. I see the mischief dance in his eyes. He pulls dow the brim of his hat (like everyone's favorite shmexy cowboy) and gives me a small smile.

"Well I have to go now, the boat's leaving soon and I should be on it. Maybe we will see each other again sometime." His voice is monotonous, almost like this is a phrase he has said so many times before that it has since lost its meaning. He leans over and picks up his suitcase before turning around and boarding the boat. He gives one last fleeting look in my direction, and continues out of sight. I give a small sigh and lean down to grab my own ocean sprayed suitcase. Carefully I make my way down the dock and onto solid land. I look around for some kind of clock wanting to know what time it was. My search ended when my eyes hit a horse rental shop. I walk over to it and was surprised to find it open. I head inside and am immediately greeted by the smell of hay ad carrots. The rugged cashier looks up sleepily and grunts a greeting. I go up to him and ask how much it would cost for a horse rental. He eyed me warily and motioned to the sign on my left. I scan the chalkboard trying to find the cheapest animal I could find. I got my winner with a small brown thoroughbred named Abe. It cost only 5000G. I'm reaching for the money in my bag to hand to the man when I realize he isn't there anymore. I look around the shop and see a set of double doors leading to a room full of neighing still swinging. I hear a whistle come from the room and I head back, suitcase in tow. when I push through the doors I'm hit with the stench of manure on a dewy morning. I see the man standing by a stable and I walk down the hall of stables to him. I look in the pen infront of him and see a small white horse, rolling around in hay. I give a small giggle to which I receive a sidelong glare from the man next to me. I set my arms on the wooden gate and we stand there in an awkward silence for a long moment. The horse, curious by it's two onlookers, gets up and walks over to me. It butts my arms with its large white head and snorts in my bandana. I reach up a hand and stroke the side of the pony's neck. It nickers and gives a quiet neigh before continuing to headbutt my arms.

"Looks like she's taken a liking to you." I glance up at the man and see a ghost of a smile on his face. "Nobody's been able to get near this horse since she was brought here two years ago." I give a small smile at this.

"Well sir," I begin to reply "I'm pretty sure my bandana smells like hay. I've been working at a barn for the past few years, and I was mostly put to moving haybales and feeding horses."

"Fantastic." I frown. _No need to be so rude_ "Well there little Missy, how about this. I'm willing to give you this horse for free." My jaw hits the floor. "Purdy right here was scheduled to be put to sleep tomorrow. She just wouldn't let anybody near her and it got to the point that she was costing me more than she was making. Now I hate to see a strong horse get put to sleep, but nobody else wants her." I continue to gape the man thinking that it was some kind of prank. "What'd ya say?" He held out his hand and looked at me. I shook my head to clear my thoughts and took his hand.

"Sir, I'll take her!" He smiled, I grinned.

"Okay there, well she doesn't have a saddle so I hope you can ride bareback." Memories of watching the boys at the barn trying to ride bareback as I sat on top of a Pinto mare.

"That won't be a problem sir. Thank you." he grunts and unbolts the gate letting me in to check out my new horse. I grab my suitcase and sling the strap across my chest. I walk in and the pony immediately turns to the side, almost as if she was waiting for me to jump on her back. Whether or not if that's what she meant I hopped on and rode her out of the stable into the light streaked morning sky, nodding to the callous owner as I pass. I steer my horse towards the lonely mountain I see outlined on the horizon and begin the second half of my trip.

I rode for what seemed like days down the winding road, passing a number of small towns and countless wildlife. I think I may have gotten turned around a few times because when I finally reached a small Japanese style town at the base of the mountain it was nearing noon. I slowed my horse to a walk and rode through the town to the largest building. A large sign in front announced this was the town hall. I walked through the twin doors only to be welcomed by an intimidating looking woman. She radiated with an aura of leadership. I walk up to the counter receiving only a cold stare in return.

"Um excuse me, I'm a bit lost at the moment. Can you tell me how to get to Bluebell?" The intimidating women stiffens, her cold glare now showing hints of rage.

"What do you want with our rival town?" I gave her a blank stare. _Rutger never mentioned anything about another town_

"I'm sorry ma'am, it's just, well you see..." I take a deep breath, "I just recently turned twenty and I really wanted to be a farmer but I didn't know how then my dead grandpa wrote me a letter saying to call his friend who's the mayor of a small town and I called him up to see if he had a ranch I could run and then I came on a boat here and I rented a horse name Purdy and rode her through the mountains but I got lost and now I'm late an I have no idea where I am." The words spill out and I am left gasping for air as this scary woman gives me this incredulous look. I hadn't noticed in the middle of my shpeal another person had entered the room.

"Purdy huh?" A somewhat deep voice broke the silence. "Not exactly the name I would have given to such a beautiful girl, but I guess that can't be helped." I turn around and, for the second time this day, I gawked at a hot guy standing in front of me. He was tall and muscular, wearing a hoodie with torn sleeves that showed off the tribal tattoo that encircled his bicep, and a white shirt under that. He was wearing a pair of army green cargo pants. His shoulder length hair was pulled back into a loose ponytail with pieces still escaping in the front. He had tanned skin and kind, brown eyes. _Wow!_ I thought _First mister I wear purple and have green eyes, and now this guy! Why do you enjoy taunting me life?_ The guy gave me a confused look and shrugged, sticking his hand out and smiling.

"My name's Kana! It's totally awesome that your here in our town! We don't get too many tourists, although judging from Ina's glare I'm guessing your looking for Bluebell." I can only nod, not able to trust my words. "Oh, well that's not as cool as if you were going to stay here, although judging by the time I'm gonna say your stuck in here until tomorrow." I can still only nod, hearing only half of the words that escape those lips of his. "Do you want a tour of the town or something?" Again, I nod. "Awesome!" He exclaims, "Let's go!" he grabs my wrist and drags me out the door. I catch the woman behind the counter with her hand on the middle of her forehead, her head shaking back and forth. I don't have time to wonder about the sudden expression change after I'm pulled out into the beautiful evening light. The guy next to me, at least a good head taller than I, just looked down at me and smiled. _It could be worse, let's just hope he's not taken!_

**! Also something mentioned in the past couple of chapters is that Lillian's been called Lillibug on a couple of occasions. That nickname came from one of my chickens, who was named Lily after my crazy blonde friend, but we just call her Lilybug. That's it. Please Review! And thanks so much for reading and to the people who have reviewed my story! Till next time!**_  
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	5. Chapter 5

**CHAPTER 5**

**Hey everybody, here's the next chapter. Thanks to tashaj4de, adiosToreador, and two anonymous people for reviewing my last chapter! To answer one of your questions (about a month and a half later) I honestly have no idea who to pick. That's why I'm writing this!**

**I own nothing that you recognize!  
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After enthusiastically dragging me around the town to meet its inhabitants (most of whom I don't really remember) Kana brought me back to the town hall. He bursts through the large, ornate doors, tugging me along behind him, and marches right up to the intimidating woman behind the desk, and begins talking with her. I walk up next to him and the lady turns to me looking extremely apologetic. "I'm sorry, but all of the rooms in the Town Hall are full tonight."

"Oh." I simply said. I saw Kana turn to look at me, and I must have looked downcast for the next words that came from his mouth shocked both me and the innkeeper.

"You could come crash at my place for the night. No sweat!" He gave me another grin. The other woman was the first to recover from his statement.

"Kana that would be highly inappropriate. You know our ways, and it highly dissuades two young people of the opposite sex to sleep under the same roof, unless if family." She gave him a stern stare. To continue my surprise he held her stare, something I think few could do.

"Ina, our ways also say to be hospitable. It would be unfair to have her sleep at Nori's or Reina's or Yun's since they've only met her once, for less than five minutes. She's still a stranger to all of us, but I've spent the most time with her, and to be honest I think you scare her a bit." He gives me an apologetic glance. I look at the woman, Ina, behind the counter and see that she is rubbing her temples.

"Kana it's just-"

"Just what? I don't mean to be disrespectful, and you know that. You also know what kind of guy I am. If you thought I was just another guy who only wants to use women for his pleasure, you would have kicked me out a long time ago." Ina gives a defeated sigh.

"Fine, but just for tonight." Kana looks at me with brimming excitement before grabbing my hand once more and tugging me towards the door. "Oh and one more thing," Ina calls. We stop and turn around on our heels. "I want both of you to check in here tomorrow. Lillian needs to go over the mountain to get to Bluebell, and I don't want her traveling alone. The mountain is quite dangerous for newcomers, and even those of us who have lived here for a while, as you know all too well." At her last words he gets a sheepish smile and rubs the back of his head releasing my hand as he does.

"I know, we will be here around eight tomorrow. And thank you Ina." I echo his thanks and we walk out again. I notice on the right my new horse, Purdy, is munching on some grass right where I left her this afternoon. I stop, and Kana turns to see why.

"My horse, is there any place nearby where she can stay for the night? I don't want to leave her out in the open, and she needs a decent meal." He gives me another smile and walks up to my horse, rubbing her neck.

"As it turns out, my place is perfect, I own the horse rental/pet shop in this town, and I have room in my stable for her, as well as tons of extra feed. Haha I could open a horse and human bed an breakfast. You get the honor of being my first customer." He gives a little bow, while looking at me with a playful smile. I laugh with him and walk next to him and my horse. I lay my hand on her neck, and turn to face him.

"Lead the way o mighty one." I gesture with my free hand and giggle. He laughs and we walk towards the entrance to the town.

"I live just outside of town, maybe a five-minute walk. We should be there before sundown." I look at the sky, not even realizing how late it had gotten. _I don't think I've had this much fun in years. Too bad I can't live here… this place is starting to grow on me._

As he said, it didn't take long to get to his house, we could see it almost as soon as we had left town. I had just finished caring for Purdy, brushing her, giving her some hay and treats, and leading her to her temporary stall. Kana had followed me in, and watched as I carried out my task. He gave me a few pointers as he cared for his own horse, and told me about how much he loved horses, and said that both he and his dad have all but dedicated their lives to them. Now that we were done he lead me out of the stable and into his house. When we got inside I was surprised as to how modern it seemed. From the outside his house looked like a decorative Japanese house, but inside, it looks like any normal guy's room. The only difference was the wooden horse in the corner, but I was too shy to ask about it. He had a counter in the opposite corner of the house with a cash register and phone. Roaming around the main room were two brown and white dogs, one big one small, and a snow-white cat with blue eyes. I continued to look around the room when I saw a beautiful painting of a mountain capped with snow. After looking at that painting I had a nagging feeling that I was forgetting something. _Mountain... mountain... who was I talking to about mountains yesterday..._ "OH SHIT!" At my outburst I heard some plates smash from the other room followed by a few cusses. Kana ran through the door and looked around, his eyes wild.

"What happened Lillian? Are you okay?" He asked with a panicked tone. I looked at him and groaned.

"I was supposed to meet Mayor Rutger today at the top of the mountain, but I got lost, and then met you guys and completely forgot! Can I please borrow your phone?" He rolled his eyes at me.

"Jeez girl, you had me thinking that a bear was mauling one of the horses! Of course you can use my phone." He left mumbling to himself about crazy people and broken plates. I chuckled to myself, feeling a little guilty for making him worry. I walked Over to the counter and picked up the phone. I looked at the back of my hand, glad that I had written the mayor's number down there. I dialed the number, and only waited for one ring before the mayor's wife answered.

"Hello?"

"Yes hi Rose, it's Lillian Taylor calling, is Mayor Rutger there?" I asked nervously.

"Oh why yes sweetie, he's been expecting a call from you for a while." I hear a muffled 'It's Rose and Charlie's granddaughter.' followed by a groaned 'Finally.'

"Young lady, do you know how worried I was? I waited on top of that hill for three hours. My old bones can't take that. Plus the whole town was waiting to welcome you, well most of the town. We have one resident who goes into the city on Mondays. Anyways, the point is you had a lot of people waiting on you that you disappointed, and worrying about what happened to you today. Not exactly a great first impression." He continued to lecture me, and I continued to feel worse and worse about getting lost. Finally he paused for a breath and I took my chance to try and explain.

"You have no idea how truly sorry I am sir. On my way into town I got a little lost, got a horse, got even more lost, and ended up in your rival town, and the innkeeper said that it was unwise for me to travel late up the mountain, so now I'm staying in this town and am going to head up to Bluebell in the morning." I heard him sigh from the other line.

"You're staying in Konohana for the night? Just don't believe anything they say about Bluebell, and don't get too attached to anyone. Our towns don't talk unless we're at a cooking festival, and even then it's a competition. Be safe, and I will see you in Bluebell tomorrow." The elderly man hung up the phone. _Well that was odd._ From the back room I heard more dishes clanking, and smelled a variety of spices. I walked through the doorway to find Kana attempting to cook. I cleared my throat and he turned around, rice and a some spices smeared on his shirt. I laughed at the mess and investigated what he was cooking. He gives me a sheepish look.

"I was trying to make curry..." I took a look in the pot to find a blackened mess.

"I don't think it's working." I looked at him and he shrugged.

"I'm not much of a cook. Normally I eat at the tea house." I laughed and turned off the stove.

"How about I cook dinner as a way of saying thanks for letting my horse and I sleep here?" He grins.

"That would be totally awesome!" Ignoring the chorus 'Going Back to Hogwarts' that began playing in my head, I grabbed the large pot and stirring spoon that Kana had been using, and brought them to the sink to wash them out. Once I was done I filled the pot with water and set it back on the stove. Turning it on to a higher temperature I left the water on to boil. Looking on the counter next to the stove I see a bag half-full of rice. Next to it is a beaten up measuring cup. I fill it full of rice and leave it on the counter. Checking the water I see that it has come to a boil so I turn down the temperature and begin to add some spices. Kana is watching me the whole time looking impressed. I add in the rice and some more spices, lower the temp again, and begin to slowly stir my concoction.

After about fifteen minutes of letting it simmer I turn off the oven and look around for bowls. Kana, seeing me begin to search, opens up a cabinet and pulls out two wooden bowls and a serving spoon. I filled each bowl with curry and added on a few last minute spices before handing one over. I watch as Kana sits on a cushion at an already set table, and I join him. He picks up a pair of chopsticks and digs in. I stare at my own pair, and gulp. I've never been able to successfully use chopsticks before, but not wanting to seem rude I pick them up and attempt to eat my dinner. After fumbling with them in my fingers, I give up and try to stab the spiced rice. I hear Kana give a satisfied mmm, but being focused on my food I didn't notice that he had begun to watch me. Mid stab he bursts out laughing causing me to jump.

"Would you like a fork?" He chuckles out. Embarrassed I glance down and answer wishing to disappear.

"Yes please." It was no louder than a whisper. His booming laugh fills the room again as he stands up and walks over to a drawer. Pulling out silver fork he sits back down and hands it to me. "Thank you." I say again in a small voice. He continues to laugh.

"Your welcome." I feel my lower lip draw into a pout and he stops. "Sorry force of habit. It's not all that often that I have someone from outside this village eat at my house. In fact, I think you might be the first." He smiles, and I can't help but return it. We continued to have idle chitchat as we ate. When we finished Kana gathered our dishes and rinsed them in the sink, and split the leftovers between the dogs. "Man that wasn't half bad curry! Nice job!" Surprised by the compliment I let out a stuttered thanks. I stood up and let out a massive yawn, stretching my arms skyward. He noticed and chuckled a bit. "Tired eh? Bedtime it is, although much earlier than I'm used to." I stuck out my tongue and he laughed again. "You can have my bed," I opened my mouth to argue but he cut me off "Save it, you are _my_ guest in _my_house. You get the bed. Besides I actually prefer to sleep on the couch. The bed gets too comfortable, and I never wake up on time." Grabbing my suitcase from besides the door I walk into the back room. I quickly look away when I see that Kana has on no shirt. I hear him turn around and laugh once more. "What, you haven't seen a twenty two year old shirtless guy before?" He jokes as I blush. "Oh you really haven't," All the joking leaves his tone and he grabs the nearest shirt and tosses it on. "Better?" I look at him and nod, still flustered. He looks away and points at a door off to the side. "Bathroom is right there, if you need me I'll be in the main room on the couch. Goodnight."

"Goodnight" I smile back. He heads to the other room and I grab my pajamas and go to get changed in the bathroom. When I come out I head over to the large bed in the corner and curl up in his blankets, noticing they smell faintly like hay. I hear loud snoring coming from Kana and I smile. _I'm gonna miss him in Bluebell. If only there was a way that the two towns could communicate more..._ I think to myself as I drift off into sleep.

_I open my eyes to find myself standing in a clearing at the top of the mountain. "Hello?" I call hesitantly. When I get no reply I walk around a bit. I feel something pulling me to my left and I discover a crystal clear spring. I peer into the water and see a pair of sea green eyes looking back at me. Startled I fall back and a bell-like voice sounds from the water. "Dum-Da-Da-DAA! Why hello Lillian!" In front of me, floating in the middle of the pond is a beautiful woman, with sea green hair and matching eyes. Her hair is tied into two buns and trails down to her bare feet in a braid. A yellow tropical flower is behind her right ear, and she is wearing sky blue top and skirt. Around her shoulders is a lighter blue, almost see through, wrap, and she seems to almost shine with a golden aura. _

_"Who are you?" I ask in awe. She gives a chiming laugh. _

_"Why I'm the amazing Harvest Goddess. And I have a mission for you dear." _

_"Wait what? How do you know my name? And why are you floating?" She laughs again and simply states, _

_"I am the Harvest Goddess. Were you not listening? I watch over these two towns, and have been for centuries. Once upon a time they got along, and had a tunnel connecting the two towns. Then at the cooking festivals they began to bicker, and bicker, and bicker, until finally I couldn't take it. I took away my gift to them, the tunnel, and the two towns have been rivals ever since. After hearing your thoughts last night I thought 'finally! Someone new who doesn't care about past rivalries.' Most people here have had their families live here for generations. This is why it is your job to bring the two towns together." _

_"What?" I repeat. The goddess rolls her eyes._

_"A bit slow are we? I'm asking you to help me stop the two towns' rivalry." _

_"Okay? Well how exactly do you plan on having me do this? They both hate each other, and I can't exactly trek up and down the mountain each and every day now can I?" She gives me a knowing look. "Oh no, you do want me to walk up and down the mountain each day don't you?" She nods._

_"Not only that, but both towns have an empty farm. Every couple of seasons I want you to move into the other town and help out. They might hate each other, but they will share you, and by doing this they will realize, with your help, that maybe they were wrong. Go to the cooking festivals, compete, and make friends. This will help too. I know you can do it Lillian." The woman begins to fade "If you need to talk to me again throw an offering into this spring, and I shall appear. Farewell for now!"_

**Hey again peoples. Can I just point out that to make up for the over three month wait (I AM SO SORRY!) this is my longest chapter yet. I was busy with school, work, and now a boyfriend (yay for me!) On the chapter its not my best, I more or less forced it out of my head. I'm really not thrilled with the last part where she's dreaming but oh well. I'll probably fix it later. One thing I meant to point out was how last chapter it worked out that it was exactly one week after she met Cam that she sees him again? I think my subconscious is smarter than I give it credit. Anyways, as always PLEASE REVIEW. Reviews make me happy, and inspire me to write more. Plus I love hearing from you guys! THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR READING, REVIEWING, FAVORITING, AND FOLLOWING! **_  
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	6. Chapter 6

**CHAPTER 6**

**Hey peoples, sorry for the wait (and I mean sorry). I'll explain in my author's note below. As usual I own no one or anything from the Harvest Moon franchise.**

I awoke with a start, a sweating, panting, heart racing mess, scaring the towering figure in my room. He dropped a large pot, which fell clattering loudly on its way to the hardwood floor.

"Shit Lillian! Don't do that, I nearly pissed myself!" I looked up, bleary eyed and confused, still in the lingering fog from my dream. Blinking rapidly, the haze faded and I looked up at my host. Seeing him, I tried to stifle a laugh but failed miserably moving on to examining the state he's in. The horseman was coated in a lumpy white mush from head to toe, looking at me doe-eyed while still managing to glare. I lost it.

"Whahahat ha-happened to you?" His glare became more prominent and an angry frown replaced his previous look of shock.

"It's not funny Lil, this was supposed to be breakfast. Now we're running late, and we have no food."

"What?!" I shot out from under his covers, leaving them in a messy pile on the floor. "How late did I sleep?" I frantically looked around, my earlier humor completely gone, as I tried to find a clock. Spotting one above the sink I have to look at it for a few moments to make sure I wasn't misreading the hands that showed 7:30.

My heart finally stopped racing and I took a deep breath. Spinning sharply on my heels I marched up to Kana and poked him violently in the chest. "You!" I spat with an accusing venom. He raised both hands, palms facing outwards, up to the sides of his head. "You lied to me." I say in the same tone. He backpedaled, too exasperated at my sudden mood swing to speak. "I almost had a heart attack. Never do that again," He gulps. "Now leave." I say simply, trying to fight a smile. A confused look replaces his one of terror, and I giggle, letting out a grin. "I mean leave the room. I need to strip, and unlike you I care if people see me half naked." He gives a sigh of relief and joins in my laugh.

"Alright," He leaves the room, but continues to talk through the now shut door. "Just don't take too long. It'll take us about ten minutes to walk over to the town hall. Since I loaded the horses up this morning we're going to leave them here while we check in with Ina. It would be a hassle to try and lead them through town, plus I don't want to stress them out before going into the mountain. Horses are such awesome creatures, especially my Hayate. You know..." At this point I began to tune him out before he goes all crazy horse rant on me. I slipped out of my pj's and into the outfit I was wearing yesterday, not wanting to get any of my other outfits dirty while crossing the mountain. I grabbed my suitcase and headed out the bedroom door into the reception area, where Kana was still talking about his horses. I coughed once, causing him to break from his trance and look at me.

"I'm all set," I chirped out, excited to be starting a new life today. He gave a nod and smiled at me.

"Alright, let's go!" I followed him out the door, and soon we were retracing our steps from the previous night. We passed by our horses, who were both hooked up to wooden carts. I stopped briefly to give Purdy a pat on her splotched head, and then we were back, continuing on our way to town. We talked the whole way, well mostly it was him telling me about all of the local traditions here in Konohana, as well as the ones between the two towns. Before we knew it the ornamental arch loomed overhead and the hum of the village residents could be heard. When we finally reached the town hall Kana let go of my hand, I hadn't even noticed when he took it, and opened the doors. Ina looked up from the paperwork she had been doing. After seeing who we were, as well as checking the time, she smiled.

"Lillian, good to see you survived the night. I hope Kana didn't keep you awake, he has a bad reputation for snoring." I laughed as the guy next to me rolled his eyes. "All joking aside are you two ready to leave now?" We both nod. "Good," she now turns to me. "Lillian I understand you're committed to living in Bluebell, but know that despite the rivalry between the two towns, we will always welcome you here. If you ever want to, you can stay here overnight. Also we have an abandoned farm just up the road from Kana's place. It's still in pretty good condition, with lots of land for crop growing, and the soil is quite fertile. If you ever decide to leave Bluebell, you can move in and become the Konohana farmer." I felt my jaw drop. I stood there staring dumbly at the mayor, when memories from my dream came back. _'Every couple of seasons I want you to move into the other town and help out. They might hate each other, but they will share you, and by doing this they will realize that maybe they were wrong...' _The Harvest Goddess's words echoed in my ears. I shook my head trying to regain my composure and looked first at Ina, whose usual stern glare was now a gentle smile, and then at Kana, who nearly mirrored my previous expression of shock, mixed with a not so hidden excitement.

"Thank you Ina, I'll keep that in mind, and I will be sure to visit as often as I can." I smile back at her, and from the corner of my eye I see Kana grinning.

"Thank you Lillian, and have a safe trip up the mountains. Having Kana with you will help most animals steer clear, but if you run into a bear, try to make sure he doesn't try to wrestle it... again." She shakes her head in exasperated disbelief remembering, what I am sure was, an interesting story of a teenage guy's block-headedness. I hear Kana chuckle at the same memory, and I can't help but join in his laugh.

"I'll do the best I can, but I can't make any promises for his trip back though." I glance over at him and he gives me a sheepish shrug. I laugh again. "See you Ina!"

"Goodbye, I do hope you visit soon Lillian." Kana and I turned around and headed out the large doors, giving Ina a quick wave before they closed. I take a deep breath, trying to calm my rising nerves. I feel kana move closer and wrap one of his large muscled arms around me in an awkward yet comforting side hug. I look up at his kind gaze and smile up at him.

"Let's go," I say softly. He releases me and we walk back down the road leading towards the town entrance. Unlike the walk into town, we were completely silent heading back to Kana's house. When we finally reached his home, I was surprised to see the horses exactly where we left them this morning. "Hey girl," I say gently walking up to Purdy and giving her neck a rub. "You ready to head to our new home?" She neighed and butted my hand in response, causing me to laugh. "Okay girl, lets go." I took her reins and lead her away from the fence before jumping on her back. I look over my shoulder to see Kana pull his horse up next to mine. We gave each other a silent nod as he took the lead heading away from his house. Only a couple of minutes later I noticed a beaten down dirt path leading away from the main road. "Hey Kana!" He turned his head and looks at me with a cocked eyebrow. "Where does that road lead?" I motion with my head. He glances over before turning back to me, somehow managing to keep his horse going straight in the process.

"You remember the farm Ina told you about right?" I nodded in response. "Well that's it. After the last farmer left it in a failing wreck the whole village had been working on trying to keep it going so we had some form of a steady income. Eventually our own lives caught up with us and we couldn't manage the time to work on the farm. All too soon the crops wilted, the field turned to wild grass and a layer of dust covered the house. Ina is the only one who stills bothers checking in on the farm, stopping by every couple of months to make sure it's still in decent enough shape, in case if someone were to take it over but so far, we've had no one..." He trailed off into thought, and I saw him grip the reins on Hayate tighter. His horse slowed to a stop and I brought Purdy up next to him, watching him worriedly. We were about halfway up the mountain on a stone bridge overlooking a beautiful waterfall.

"Kana, what's wrong?" He looked up from his hands and gazed at me with and expression of mixed anger, sadness, and intensity.

"Lillian. why are you choosing Bluebell? They already have a farm over there, do you really want that sort of competition starting out? Besides, you fit in so well at Konohana, you've met everybody, and even Ina likes you. The Bluebell folks are a mystery to you. What if they really are like the rumors say, they could be cruel, and unwelcoming, and you would be miserable!" I had to look away from him, fixing my eyes on a pair of ducks in the pool below. He was acting completely different from my energetic host last night, and I couldn't fathom what got into him.

"Maybe she should wait to meet them herself before making judgments." A new voice broke the tension, startling the both of us. We turned around in our saddles to see the source of the new, and quite silky, voice. That's when I gasped. Standing behind us was the green-eyed, purple-clad boy I saw both in the city and at the docks, and he was smirking, no doubt at our shock. I can felt Kana tense beside me, as purple boy shifted his stance. _Oh no, _I thought _this isn't gonna be good._

**Heheh so what's up people. Long time no type. When was my last update, July? I can't apologize enough for how long I've kept you waiting. Long story short: I got a boyfriend, I had summer homework, a social life, writer's block, hamster died, dog died, school started, boyfriend dumped me for another girl and lied to me about it, we got a new puppy, I had black belt testing (now a decided rank. woohoo!), friend decided to be a bitch, I was doing terrible in my favorite subject (math), the winter blues kicked in, I had to comfort other friends going through problems, more problems, social life, The Hobbit, holidays, new job, midterms, license, friendtrouble, car, friend trouble, work, friend comforting, cat died, friend comforting, and school, BUT I finally managed to get this chappy out, and ta-dah! Feel free to hate me and leave me as many angry reviews about my lateness and or crappy writing as you please. Again I'm so sorry for the wait (readers for my other story will hate me more since my Sonic muse went poof and I have no clue when I'll next update that one) I love you all! R&R please (although I'm assuming if you're reading this you've already read the chapter so just review please) Thank You all so much for your continued support!  
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	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

"Mind your own business Bluebell! We were talking, or do they not teach you manners?"

"You're one to talk, can't you see you were making her uncomfortable. Clearly she's made her decision, having you shove your opinions down her throat isn't helping."

"Like you know what she wants, you don't even know her name do you?"

"Her name is Lillian, Lillian Taylor as a matter of fact. And last I knew she was going to be the farmer of Bluebell, not Konohana."

The two teenage boys were glaring at each other, Kana's burning like fire and the Newsboy's cool as ice, and I, of course, was stuck in the middle, not having a clue about what I should do.

"Look, flower boy, just go back to your stinking animal filled village. Lillian clearly doesn't want anything to do with you or your town." Kana spits the words out, and I see his already clenched fists tighten. Out of the corner of my eye I notice newsboy tense up. Finally having enough of their argument I step in.

"Just please shut up the both of you!" For a moment it looks like Kana is about to lunge off his horse at the other boy, but after what seems like an endless moment, they relax...mostly. "Thank you." I snap, exasperated. "Now Kana, what the fuck is wrong with you?!" I see him flinch away from my growing anger. "You know me just about as well as this guy does, in what world does that make you think you can decide my life for me? Newsboy over there was right about you shoving your opinions down my throat! I am not defenseless and I can make my own decisions! And you!" I whirl around to face the Bluebell native, who was doing his best to hide his amused smirk. I make the mistake of looking into his eyes and forget what I had been about to say, my anger dissipating. I shake my head, trying to clear the fog and regain my former composure. I close my eyes and suck in a deep breath before daring to look back at him. "Could you please take me the rest of the way to town?" Kana tightened his jaw, the shock of my question barely registering as he turns his glare towards the other boy. I sigh once more. "Look Kana, it's not his fault, I made a commitment and I plan on sticking to it, at least for a while, anyways, nothing you can say is going to make me change my mind." He turns his head to glare at the ground, avoiding my gaze. "Kana, look at me," he lifts his glare to me, "this isn't good bye, you'll see me again," to this he scoffs and rolls his eyes, I breathe heavily through my nose. "Listen, I know you don't believe me, but would you at least save your judgments for tomorrow?" His eyes turned to me, utterly puzzled and slightly pouty, but curious. "I, Lillian Taylor, promise that tomorrow, after I've done all that I need to do in Bluebell on my soon to be farm, will ride my horse across this mountain just to see you to let you know that I'm not going to abandon you to become one of the Bluebell Folks. Personally I think you are all being absolutely insane as to this whole feud. I mean really people, it's just food, and it's been decades if not centuries since the tunnel collapsed. Get over yourselves and make up!" Both boys chuckled at my exasperated rant. "Seriously though, I am going to be friends with both the Bluebell and Konohana residents, so you people are going to have to get used to sharing me." I gave them both a half serious, half joking, stare down before settling my eyes on Kana. When he stopped laughing he returned the look, sending a small shock tingling down my spine. "Are you willing to trust me?" He gave a sidelong glance at the other boy before nodding and smiling. I sighed in relief. "Good, now get on home, and don't wrestle any bears on your way back." His eyes sheepishly looked the ground once more before turning his horse around and heading back down the mountain. Just as I was turning back to the Bluebell native I thought I saw him glance over his shoulder, though when I turned my head to check he was already gone. I shook my head and shifted my attention back to Mr. I-Wear-Purple. "Okay then...Well let's get going. Onwards to Bluebell!" He chuckled and began to walk alongside my horse's carriage. Suddenly I gasped, nearly making the poor guy fall over.

"What? What's wrong?" Alarmed confusion was coloring his tone.

"I just realized something!" He gave me this incredulous stare that seemed to be asking me to continue my statement as well as shut the hell up at the same time. I grinned stupidly. "I don't even know your name!" His eyes widened ever so slightly before quickly turning his head away. And was that… the slightest hint of red on his cheeks? I was so caught up in staring at him that I didn't even hear his response. "I'm sorry come again?"

"Cam. My name is Cameron Reed." I giggled at his annoyed groan of a reply.

"Well it's nice to finally, properly, meet you, Cameron Reed. My name is Lillian Taylor," I gave a little bow, my lilac-gray eyes sparkling with a spirited playfulness, "And I guess I'm the new girl in town."

It was about midday when we saw the crest of the mountain. Although we were both tired, (Since Cam didn't have a horse, I had dismounted my own, and was leading it across the mountain) seeing the end of our ascent brought new life to our aching feet, our pace quickening. When we finally reached the top I looked around in awe, everything was so pretty. Leaving my horse and cart on the path I walked over to a large clearing, all the way to the railing on the other side and gasped. Cam, who had been trailing slightly behind me in my exploration quickly caught up to see what I was reacting to. When he discovered the source a knowing smile crept over his lips and he spoke. "Yeah, I know. It's amazing isn't it?" In front of us was the most beautiful view. Stretching for miles upon miles was the sight of a green forest below us stretching down the mountain, and off in the the distance were more blue, white-capped peaks. It was the most beautiful sight I've seen, not that the city had much to offer for prettiness. Without realizing it I began to lean over the rail to soak in more of the sight.

"Wow..." I breathed in shocked wonder. Suddenly my hand slipped on the railing and I began to fall forward **(I know, it's predictable, I'm sorry) **letting out a shriek as the green leaves below started getting uncomfortably close. I closed my eyes, awaiting what was surely going to be a painful descent followed by my death, when I was stopped mid air by a tugging on my back. I opened my eyes and turned my head to see Cam gripping on to my rucksack, his teeth clenched in exertion. I let out a sigh of relief as I was pulled back over the railing, landing on my ass, as he collapsed on the ground next to me breathing heavily.

"Well...I guess...I was...right...about...you being...accident...prone...whew." Cam spoke, catching his breath between words. Despite that I almost just plummeted to my death I began to grin. He gave this look like I was absolutely insane and I began to laugh. He rolled his eyes, but joined my cackling with his own little chuckle.

"Well," I started, letting out another small giggle "It looks like I owe you my life yet again Mr. Reed, let's hope I don't make a career for you out of needing to be saved." He stops laughing and a serious expression took over his face as he gazed back over towards the railing.

"Let's hope not." It stayed quiet for a few moments, a little awkward for me but I didn't want to break the pensive silence. Finally he gives out a large breath. "Well, we should get back to the trail now." I looked off into the distance for a brief second before replying.

"Yeah." He moves to get up, pushing off the ground with his hands and quickly rising to his feet. I was so caught up in watching him that only when he cleared his throat did I actually notice my staring. A light blush covered my cheeks and darkened even more so when he stuck his hand out to help me. Not wanting to seem rude I allowed him to pull me to my feet. After brushing the dirt off my outfit I sort of skipped/cantered back over to my horse and cart. I grabbed Purdy's reins and looked back at Cam who was still making his way over. I turned back to my horse and cart and smacked my forehead with my hand. "I am so stupid. And ouch that kind of hurt."

"What did you do now?" I spun around as Cam finally reached me.

"I just noticed the cart Kana put on my horse has seats in the front. We could have been riding up the mountain instead of walking. Also I hit myself in the forehead." Cam rolled his eyes and sighed.

"Good grief, at least we can get down the mountain much faster now. We should be there in about an hour if we move at a decent pace." I only nodded in response. I grabbed Purdy's reigns as I made my way to the driver's side. I stepped up onto the seat and cheerfully plopped down, glancing over to Cam, who had yet to move from where he was standing, probably making sure I wouldn't fall of the mountain attempting to get on the cart. I patted the seat next to me and he once again rolled his meadow green eyes at me before climbing up and taking the seat.

We rode down the rest of the mountain in silence, not an uncomfortable silence, but an easy silence where we can enjoy the ride. When we crossed the path of a small white rabbit I almost jumped off the cart to go cuddle it. However Cam kept a hold of me while the bunny ran off into the bushes. Some of the few words spoken on our descent was him telling me that it was possible to befriend the mountain animals by feeding or holding them, but it takes at least a few seasons for them to even let you get close without running away. After hearing this I made it my mission to friend every single animal on this mountain, to which Cam laughed and sarcastically told me good luck.

We had been riding for a little less than an hour when the mountain's slope started to flatten out. At this time we also passed a small river with a shallow pond. I was getting ready to stop and go explore but Cam put a hand on my arm and shook his head. "Later. We're almost at the town now." To this I frowned but kept Purdy moving past the peaceful river. Just as Cam promised we soon broke out from under the tree canopy and into bright afternoon sunlight. Just ahead of us was a stone wall with an open gateway in the middle, while two stone chickens were perched on either gate post. A few steps after the gateway the beaten dirt road is transformed into a cobblestone street that leads to many more buildings farther down the path. As we pass approach the gateway I see a large sign with a red rose stating:

**↑ Bluebell Village**

This is it. My new life is waiting for me just beyond these gates.

**Hey guys... hehe, so I'm still alive, just in case if anyone was wondering. I know, I could've fooled me too. I really shouldn't be making excuses for how terrible I've been at updating, but this school year has been hectic for me. It started off with a bad breakup and things just went crazy from there. Let's just say I had a lot of friend drama this year as well as balancing one of the toughest years I've had school wise (chemistry was a bitch) and I was working two jobs second semester. Speaking of my jobs I may have mentioned this previously but I'm working as a tech assist at a veterinary clinic, which I absolutely love. It's great experience before college especially because I'm hoping to be a pre-vet major, so I've been busy with that to say the least. Sorry for rambling, I know most of you don't care about my life especially because you probably have your own slice of life keeping you busy, but I'm just attempting to give some reason as to why I am soooo shitty with updates. Know that even if I'm not posting new updates for months at a time, that I still read other peoples stories on a regular basis, and you can PM me any time telling me to get my ass in gear. In fact that would be highly appreciated motivation to get to work. Anyways, as always thank all of you sooooooooooooooo much for reading and putting up with my long waits. I love you all. Keep reading and review (even if it is just to say 'it's about time, what took so long?'). And once again sorry. You can all get cookie dough for the wait. Okay thats it, sorry for rambling, see you all next time.**

**~ Rosy**


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